Geordie Sing-along
It started with The Proclaimers. You only had to hear "I would walk 500 miles" when suddenly you began to recreate a scene from the Exorcist. As if possessed, you involuntarily sang along in your best Scottish accent, convinced all you really lacked was a kilt and a haggis. Next came the turn of the Welsh as Catatonia's 'Road Rage' led to the misguided notion that you truly had descended from the deepest valley and that justified the exaggerated pronunciation of every 'r' in the song. Now the Geordies have gotten in on the action. Just listening to The Futureheads renders you incapable of singing normally. Instead a strange accent escapes your lips that resemble a cross between Ant and Dec and a reject from Byker Grove, but boy does it add some zest to the songs!
Running true to form, 'Area' sees the 'Heads singing in the broadest Geordie accents that invite you to do likewise as they pummel through the track at a jerky pace. As is expected by now from the 'Heads, their vocal harmonising adds another dimension to their music, singling them out from other bands and injecting a touch of urgency and character to 'Area'. By cleverly including some "Der, der, dums" at regular intervals, The Futureheads have insured that 'Area' is catchier then the common cold and just as difficult to get rid of. It penetrates into your brain and remains nestled there permanently - well, at least until you hear their version of 'Hounds of Love'. 'Area' proves that Sunderland's finest can transform just about any subject into a amiable, wit fuelled number. After all, when a song about burglary has you singing along in your moch Geordie accent then you know there's no hope left. So, wave the white flag and do your best Ant and Dec impersonation as you scream "Where do you come from? What do you knoooooooow?"